In New England, going out for ice cream is an event. You’ll definitely feel the family-outing vibe here. The tiniest kids perch in the takeout window, waiting for a gummi bear-topped scoop while the grown-ups order tasty concoctions like cranberry bog and peanut butter Oreo, all made in house. They also make most of their own toppings. There’s savory food, too, including lobster rolls, chili, and Captain Parker’s clam chowder.

Ambience: Happy chaos. Customers order at windows and then repair to picnic tables on the lawn or the porch. There’s inside seating too.

The scoop: “You don’t need to add toppings to this ice cream — it’s full of good stuff,” said tester Kelley, who sampled cranberry bog and shark bait. For our part, we claimed wicked good chocolate as our own, declining to share; it was that delicious. Tester Bair-Cucchiaro announced that the vanilla was anything but plain: “Creamy, flavorful, perfect,” he declared.

The US Postal Service chose Ice Cream Sandwich as the place to launch its first ever “scratch and sniff” ice cream stamp. They presented owner, Ray Upton with this plaque as they unveiled the new stamp inside Ice Cream Sandwich’s shop on July 18, 2018.